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N.J. among best states for road safety, report says

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Traffic creeps along Interstate 80 in Morris County following an accident in November. New Jersey is still among the safest states in which to drive, a new study says.
(Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)

New Jersey is among the safest states to drive, according to new study.

The study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute examined fatality rates by both population and miles drives and the Garden State ranked highly in both areas. The results were released this week.

"New Jersey is among the best states in terms of road safety, whether measured by the fatality rate per distance driven (6th best) or the fatality rate per population (7th best)," said Michael Sivak, director of the study.

In 2012, New Jersey had a fatality rate of 6.64 per 100,000 people, and a rate of 7.94 deaths per billion miles driven. Massachusetts is the safest state by both measures.

There were 589 fatalities on New Jersey roads in 2012, a 22.6 percent drop from 2005. New Jersey ranked 22nd in road deaths two years ago.

Nationwide, 33,561 people died as a result of crashes on roads, led by Texas' 3,398.

The number of fatalities has decreased sharply across the country when comparing 2005 and 2012 — by 27.1 percent, the study said.

In Washington D.C., the number of road deaths fell 68.6 percent; Nevada experienced a 39.6 decline. Vermont and North Dakota were the only two states whose number of fatalities rose.

New Jersey drivers also fared well compared to their neighbors.

In New York, 1,168 people lost their lives on the roads in 2012, a rate of 9.11 per billion miles driven and 5.97 deaths per 100,000 people. The rate per 100,000 people placed it as the second-lowest by that measure behind only Massachusetts.

Pennsylvania reported 1,310 traffic deaths, a rate of 13.25 fatalities per billion miles driven and 10.26 per 100,000 people.

The Michigan study drew its data from the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.